In an epically sweet challenge, Vancouver Island University (VIU) students and faculty will create the world's largest Nanaimo bar using their own special recipe.
Aron Weber, Chair of the Professional Baking and Pastry Arts program, said students whipped up the idea a few years ago when they were brainstorming ways to bring publicity to a business.
"We started looking at different ways to do that including a world record and obviously, being in Nanaimo, we decided to look up what was the world record Nanaimo bar," said Weber. He added they were surprised to learn the title belongs to people in Ontario. "Right there, it kind of lit a fire in us that we needed to bring that record back to Nanaimo."
VIU Baking and Pastry Arts Management Diploma Program student Shayla Jane Heslin holding a Nanaimo Bar. Photo Credit: Vancouver Island University
The Nanaimo bar, a sweet no-bake confection consisting of three layers, is a fundamental offering throughout city restaurants and bakeries. The dessert is world renowned. In 2006, the Nanaimo bar was declared Canada's favourite confection by a reader's poll in the National Post. There is a write up about it in the Canadian Encyclopedia. Wikipedia states a US state dinner held in 2016 in honour of then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau featured Nanaimo bars as the main dessert. It was even made into a stamp by Canada Post in 2019.
"This is big news, literally! The Nanaimo bar is much more than a sweet, mouth-watering dessert; it's an icon of our great city," said Mayor Leonard Krog. "It only makes sense that the largest Nanaimo bar ever made is put together here. Many thanks to these talented VIU students for beating the record right here at home!"
Weber says preparation to create the record-breaking 1,100-pound bar will start a week before. Carpentry students are making the frame for the bar. The base of graham-cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, nuts and coconut, and the middle layer of custard-powder-flavoured buttercream will be prepared ahead of the event and spread out on the forms while the chocolate topping will be poured last.
While the attempt throws another spotlight on the internationally recognized culinary and baking programs, it is also being staged to encourage donations towards the purchase of new equipment to better train students and ensure the programs remain on the cutting edge of the industry.
"Our current ovens are decades old and nearing the end of their lifespan," said Buddy Wolfe, Chair of VIU's Culinary Arts program. "Through event sponsorship we are raising money to buy new ovens which will help students prepare for their exciting and challenging careers in the food industry."
Baking alum Hannah Palmer is coming all the way from Scotland for the big event. Palmer is currently working at Monachyle Mhor, a boutique hotel in the Scottish Highlands. She was one of the students who came up with the initial idea.
"When we realized the world record for the largest bar belonged to someone in Ontario, it just didn't seem right to us," said Palmer. "It's been amazing to see Chef Weber run with the idea. It's such a spectacular way of bringing attention back to VIU and boosting a program that we all loved so much."
"Few things say Nanaimo' quite like the Nanaimo bar, and there's no better place for this record than right here at home," said Carly Pereboom, Executive Director of Tourism Nanaimo. "It's a fun, meaningful way to celebrate our city's identity, support local talent and share a taste of Nanaimo with the world."
The record will be certified by two national organizations that represent VIU trades students: the Baking Association of Canada and the Culinary Federation of Canada. The national organizations are providing official oversight free of charge so that all funds raised can go towards the purchase of new ovens.
To learn more, visit the world's largest Nanaimo bar homepage.
